Moving: The Emotions It Creates and How to Handle Them

Emotions. No matter who you are, you have them, just like everyone else. And for many of us, we can experience a variety of emotions each and every day. But one situation, in particular, can trigger all sorts of emotions to arise, and that’s moving house. Which emotion do you feel when thinking of moving to a new home? Do you feel excited or relieved? Or do you feel sad, confused or angry? Continue reading to find out the most common emotions experienced when moving house and how to handle them:

Surprise: An event or piece of news that is unexpected or that happens suddenly. When it comes to life, it’s best to expect the unexpected. But that doesn’t mean that suddenly finding out you have to move to a new home won’t come as a major surprise. Surprises can be both good and bad, so it is hard to know right away what outcome will occur. This can make you slow to jump into action as you let the surprise of moving sink in and you weigh the pros and cons of what’s to come. But with a surprise move ahead, chances are you will need to act fast in order to get everything done in time. The best way to counter the element of surprise is to create and follow a moving checklist. This way your move will be as organized and efficient as possible.

Denial: A refusal to accept that something unpleasant or painful is true. For some, the news of an upcoming home move can send them into a sense of denial. This unconscious defense mechanism is characterized by a refusal to acknowledge the truth. Unfortunately, denial can lead to major consequences when it comes to moving house. Denial comes in many forms. For example, you may not show any emotion at all, or you may continue with your usual routine as if nothing has changed and as if things will magically change in your favor. The problem is that these behavioral patterns can lead to never starting the moving process.

The truth, however, is that whether you do or do not like the idea of moving, you are moving. A refusal to accept that there’s nothing you can do to stop the move from happening will only result in the loss of valuable time when you could have been preparing for what’s to come.

Confusion: A state of not being certain about what is happening, what you should do, or what something means. After the idea of moving has sunk in, you may find that you suddenly feel confused and overwhelmed by the mega task ahead of you. This confusion typically stems from a lack of order, structure and organization. You may not know where to start or how to manage your time. Luckily, there are ways to get the job done. Consider using a week-by-week moving timeline that will tell you exactly what you should be doing from the time you learn of your move all the way to when moving day arrives. Another thing you can do is contact a professional moving company. Not only can they offer expert tips, but they can also move all of your belongings and provide you with packing and moving supplies so you can focus on other important tasks.

Fear: A bad feeling that occurs when you are in danger, when something bad might happen, or when a particular thing frightens you. Fear is a primary emotion, so it makes sense that you are likely to experience it during a big change like moving. You may fear:

Having too little time to get ready

Your valuable possessions becoming damaged

The unknown

All of these are common fears you may deal with during your move. Just try to overcome them by focusing on one task at a time and staying positive.

Excitement: The state of feeling excited. As you have learned so far, there are many emotions that come with moving house. While a move may make you feel as though you are on an emotional roller coaster with ups and downs at every turn, there is one emotion that is good to have, and that’s excitement. While you may believe that there is nothing good about moving, there are actually a number of positive things to be excited about.

You will meet new people and form new friendships.

You will experience a different place – your home, but also your town or city.